Sign Up for Our Cancer Care and Prevention Newsletter

Thanks for signing up!

A diagnosis of cancer at any age or stage is difficult, but young women who are diagnosed with uterine cancer face a double dose of difficult news. Women who develop uterine cancer during their childbearing years can face the emotional and even heart-wrenching challenge of infertility — the inability to bear children. After treatment, even as you celebrate your uterine cancer survival, your emotional battle might still be going on. "Being diagnosed with uterine cancer can be a very scary moment and can lead to physical and psychological hardships," says Warren W. Olds, MD, a radiation oncologist at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wis.

Uterine Cancer and Infertility: Psychological Repercussions

Being diagnosed with uterine cancer can affect your psychological well-being after diagnosis and treatment. And, if you are a woman of childbearing age, this can be particularly difficult as you deal with the challenges of preserving, or losing, your fertility.

"The preservation of fertility for a woman is a personal issue and can lead to emotional stress for [a woman] trying to decide what is best for her own life and what is best for preserving her fertility," says Jonathan S. Berek, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist who specializes in uterine cancer at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.

Some of the emotional issues that may surface in younger women diagnosed with uterine cancer and facing or dealing with infertility can include:

Feelings of confusion, anger, or guilt. "Some women who have undergone treatment for uterine cancer feel a sense of guilt that their previous sexual activities may have led to the development of uterine cancer," says Dr. Olds. However, there is no evidence that sexual activity can cause you to develop uterine cancer, nor can you transmit uterine cancer from one person to another during sexual activity.

Increased levels of stress. Women who are single tend to stop dating after undergoing chemotherapy or surgery; for women who are married, the stresses of the cancer treatments can lead to a buildup of stress, which could lead to stress in their marriage.

Change in body-image or decrease in self-esteem. "The changes in psychological health can develop due to the changes in body image after having chemotherapy or surgery," says Olds. "The lowering of self-esteem can lead to a decrease in sexual pleasure or the loss of sexual intimacy."

Depression or anxiety. Feelings of depression or anxiety can result when dealing with cancer or infertility. The combination of cancer and the threat or reality of infertility can be twice as hard. Medication and therapy can be very helpful in treating depression and anxiety and accepting the changes that have happened.

Remember that there are a variety of support groups that you can join to help deal with both the emotions you're going through and the questions that can arise during and after treatment. Look for support online, or talk to your doctor to find help in your area. Knowing that you are not alone — and knowing where to turn for help — can make a world of difference.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.

Advertising Notice

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about
your visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of
interest to you. If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make
choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here.